Nothing In this World
by Penton
Summary: She cringed as he raised his arm and hit her. It stung. "My safehouse," she said breathlessly. Blood was slowly dripping from her lips. "Safehouse?" He said in a mockingly soft voice. "You should have learned by now… Nothing in this world is safe."
1. Prologue

She ran.

Though the forest's branches were usually green and lush, it was winter now. White surrounded her, and cold snow whipped against her face as she ran through the forest. Her head caught a thin, low branch and the snow was shaken off, trickling down the back of her shirt. A chill shot up her spine. She was concentrating on not stumbling, because if she fell, she lost the race.

She had met him three years ago, back when she was just thirteen. He had entered her home, killed her brother, and said:

"Run, girl. Run, and when I catch you, you die."

She remembered his red eyes; so devoid of emotion, cruelly empty. He had black hair, and he was tall. Thin. She closed her eyes, wishing that it had never come to this. Just yesterday, when she had come home from school, he had been there. He smiled a crooked smile and said:

"There you are, little bird. I found you. What now?"

She had turned on her heel instantly and ran away. She ran away from him, from her home, from school, from her friends – carrying only a lightly packed backpack and the clothes on her back. She had felt his gaze on her for a long time before he looked down and said:

"You know it's no use, Tenten."

Tenten pulled her collar up around her face. The adrenaline pumping through her veins kept her going, running through that endless white nightmare. She knew she couldn't last forever, yet she pushed herself to keep running, always keep running.

God damn him. God damn all vampires.

* * *

When she finally stopped running, Tenten found herself by a straight stone wall, a cliff going far up. She sank down by the rough stone, feeling each fracture in the surface like a claw in her back, until cold snow met her and she was sitting. She breathed heavier than she ever had before, and her legs refused to move, quivering and hurting. She winced when she tried to pull her knees up, and quickly aborted the attempt.

Memories flashed by her inner eye as she sat there. She slowly slid sideways until she was lying on the cold ground, staring blankly into the forest.

The vampire had said more. His red eyes had found her brown ones, and he had said:

"He's not here to protect you this time, little bird."

Tenten didn't know who "he" was. She had ransacked her brain over and over, but couldn't find any memory of anyone ever protecting her from the red-eyed vampire.

She sat up and tore her backpack off her shoulders to clutch it in her arms. She opened it, finding the remains of her school lunch. She didn't usually eat much at school. There was always some left over. She thanked the heavens for that as she ate it all within a few quick minutes, wolfing it down like there was no tomorrow. Afterwards, she sank back down to the floor, hugging her backpack tiredly.

Her last thought before drifting off to sleep was:

"He's coming."

* * *

He didn't come that night, however. When Tenten regained consciousness, she found that the sun was once again hitting her face. She pulled herself out of the snow, feeling the resistance of frost on her clothes. That had been dangerous. She knew not to sleep outside in the snow. She was okay, but she could've died. A less life-threatening worry was the uncomfortable position she'd slept in. Her limbs were stiff and her back hurt. Tenten sat up and stretched, feeling the bones popping in her body.

In a world where humans and vampires coexist as equals, what had she become? A chased animal; prey. She shuddered at the thought of the blood on that vampire's fangs as he had finished her brother off. Vampires were supposed to be just like regular people. Regular people didn't murder. Regular people weren't like him.

She staggered to her feet, still clutching her backpack. She was freezing. Her dark blue jacket didn't provide much warmth, and she had just slept outside in the snow…It was a miracle she was still alive. She swung her backpack onto her back and looked around. She was in a rather open area; it had been stupid of her to stop there. She had no shelter from the elements, and she would have been easy to spot if the vampire had come by. Looking back into the forest, she started walking along the wall. Tenten saw nothing in the forest but darkness. She shuddered and sped up, heading towards what was hopefully the end of the cliff.

* * *

Maybe she was stupid for running. Maybe dying had been her best option from the very start. The race wore her down, more and more, until finally she was so tired it was hard to even wake up in the morning to keep going. In retrospect, she saw that this fatigue was the reason her body gave up in the end. Looking at the past, she understood that nothing could've kept the vampire away for long, and that running was just stalling the undeniable.

She just lied. She said nothing could keep the vampire away. Well, there was one thing.

_Him_.

She hadn't known him at the time. He had come into her life uninvited and unexpected. Looking back, she realized he wasn't like the others; however, she hadn't noticed that until the story was drawing close to the end. He had been the first of them to pierce her skin with his fangs, and she had let him do so willingly. It had been her own choice.

In retrospect, there were a lot of things she could have done differently. Heaps of words that would have been better off unspoken. Actions she would have recalled if she could. But shining through the mistakes and the pain was the story about a girl being chased by a monster, and the vampire who rescued her.

It's the story about Tenten, the girl with no last name.


	2. Chapter 2

She had been on the run for a very long time. That was all she knew. She had lost track of the days quite some time ago, but it was warm now. The hot air washed over the trees and rustled the leaves. It was pleasant.

Tenten arrived at a small village. It was about half the size of her home city. She wandered through the streets confusedly before finally finding an inn and stumbling inside, starving and suffering from fatigue. She had eaten, but not much. Only what she could find in the forest. She didn't know how she had made it for so long.

Without a word she made her way to the counter, her feet scraping against the floor with every step. She fished in her pockets for money, finding only a few ryo. Hopefully not too few. Please, lord, let it be enough. She halfheartedly placed the money on the counter.

"Any room is fine," she mumbled. She didn't care if she had to sleep in the gutter as long as she got rest. The woman behind the counter seemed to realize her state and called on a younger girl, striding away authoritatively. Tenten didn't know what they said to each other. All she knew was that if she didn't get to lie down and sleep, she'd collapse right then and there.

The younger girl grabbed her arm gently, leading her out of the lobby and up a small set of stairs into a long hallway. The walls were lined with doors, and she was led through one of them.

"Someone lives here," the girl said. "But he's never here anyway, so you can have his room for free for now."

Tenten briefly saw the glint of sharp fangs in the girl's mouth and smiled bitterly. A vampire's help. Humans and vampires were supposed to live together in harmony and equality, as friends, but her experience with the redeye had somewhat traumatized her, it seemed. She thanked the girl weakly before walking over to the neatly made bed. She collapsed into it, and fell asleep instantly, before she could even think of undressing or closing the door.

* * *

"_Brother? Brother, are you home?"_

"_Tenten…! G-get out…he –"_

_A loud snap. Her eyes widened as her brother's body went limp. The vampire looked up with a smile. Blood dripped from his fangs and he released his grip on the boy's broken neck. Her brother fell to the floor with a sickening sound._

"_Hello, little bird," he said. His voice was dark, and smooth like silk. She shuddered, backing slowly towards the door. "Leaving already?" his fake pout was quickly replaced by a wicked grin. She growled some incoherent words at him as her hand found the door handle. _

_That's when he told her to run. She didn't hesitate in following his orders. _

* * *

She tore herself out of the dream, sitting up in bed and breathing heavily for a few moments before looking around hectically.

"Not here," she whispered. "He's not here."

She pulled up her knees and sat back against the wall, taking in the room for the first time. It was small, square, and lined with very little furniture. There was her bed against the left wall, and a dresser under the window. A soft carpet covered the floor. The walls were a relaxing light blue color.

Tenten saw her backpack on the floor and picked it up. Rummaging through it, she found a clean shirt, no doubt intended for use in gym class. She had left before that class on the day of her escape, however, and never gotten to use the shirt. She quickly changed now, enjoying the freshness of a new shirt after wearing the same one for weeks. She reeked.

Her stomach growled. More important things than body odor called. She started digging in her pants' pockets for money, but then remembered leaving it all on the counter the night before. However, when she looked up, she found the money lying atop the dresser. She quickly counted. All of it was there. They hadn't charged her for the room. She was overwhelmed by their kindness, a tight knot forming in her throat. She felt as though she was going to cry.

She didn't, though. Instead, she got up, opening the dresser's top drawer. If the room was really occupied, there would be something in there, right? True enough, she found clothes. She quickly checked the other drawers just in case, coming up with nothing but clothes. Men's clothes. Some poor guy owned this room, and now she was there sleeping in his bed and rifling through his belongings. She laughed for the first time in weeks, closing the drawer and leaving the room.

* * *

"Is it really okay for me to stay in someone else's room?" Tenten asked as she emerged from the hallway. The lobby was small, yet cozy, and she immediately felt at home. The girl from the night before was behind the counter, and looked up with a smile. She stepped around the counter. She had long, black hair and a soft smile, but what attracted the most attention were her big, lavender eyes.

"Don't worry about it," she said. Her voice was light and easy on the ears. Tenten immediately liked her. "My cousin lives in that room, but he's hardly ever home." She laughed quietly, brushing her hair behind her shoulder.

"But what if he comes back?" Tenten asked anxiously. She didn't want him to come home only to find her sleeping in his room.

"He won't mind," the girl said, beaming at Tenten and showing off her brilliant white fangs. Then, she sobered, and extended a hand. "I'm Hyuga Hinata, by the way."

Tenten shook her hand, noticing how soft her skin was. "I'm Tenten," she said in a friendly tone. "Just Tenten." Hinata smiled again, letting go of the brunette's hand and walking behind the counter.

"You look hungry," she remarked. Tenten nodded, and her stomach growled loudly to prove the point. Hinata laughed. "What do you want to eat?"

"Oh, anything's fine," Tenten said quickly, reaching for her pocket. "I have money –"

"That won't be necessary," Hinata said. "I know you've come a long way. You deserve some rest. Don't worry about paying for now."

"Okay…," Tenten said insecurely, withdrawing her hand from her pocket. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome," Hinata said, disappearing into a kitchen to cook for her. Tenten sat down in the lobby, feeling sort of awkward, and waited.

* * *

Tenten allowed herself to rest that day. She spent the hours alternating between wandering around the village, familiarizing herself with it, and lounging about the inn talking to Hinata. She felt relaxed. She felt good. She had even gotten to shower. She had stayed in there for so long Hinata had gotten worried about her and come knocking on the door. Apart from the looming shadow of the redeye in the back of her mind, everything was perfect.

When it was late enough for her to grow tired, she curled up in Hinata's cousin's bed. It felt wonderful to have a bed to sleep in. As she drifted to sleep, she felt a breeze. She must have forgotten to close the window.

* * *

She woke, he eyes snapping open. She couldn't have gotten more than a few hours' sleep. She had awoken to a thumping noise, like that of someone's feet hitting the floor. When she looked to the side, she was startled to find a person standing there. In the low light, she couldn't see who it was. Was it Redeye? She didn't know, couldn't tell. All she could tell was that it was a he, and he was tall.

"Who are you, girl?"

* * *

In retrospect, a lot of her actions during that time period had been mistakes. It couldn't be helped, she thought. She caused a lot of trouble for the Hyuga family with her stupidity.

Especially for Hinata's cousin. She still laughed every time she thought about that – and then she cried. The memories were still painful. Even when telling the story to her friends, or even strangers, she couldn't help but tear up at his pained words. She still remembered everything from that time, even the scent of the environment. Some things were imprinted in her brain, no matter how hard she tried to forget them.


	3. Chapter 3

"Who are you, girl?"

Tenten sat up abruptly, glad that she had gone to bed still wearing her shirt. It occurred to her that wearing a shirt or not was a strange thing to worry about in this situation, and she almost burst out laughing.

"I'm Tenten," she said instead, looking around nervously.

He stepped closer, looking at her with mild interest. "And why are you in my room?"

"Hinata said I could stay here. She said you were never here anyway."

He chuckled. "That's right. I never am. Not that she knows, at least."

Tenten was about to jump out of bed and offer it to him, but he held up a hand in a dismissive gesture. "I'm not going to sleep," he said. "Vampires don't sleep."

She fell back into the pillow. "Right. So…what's your name?"

In the weak light of the moon, she could barely make out his face – he was smirking slightly. "My name is Hyuga Neji," he said.

Tenten nodded weakly, not above noticing how weird the scene was. She giggled nervously. "This is awkward," she said. "Here you come, expecting to find your room empty and just as you left it, but no. I'm here."

She heard his low laughter. "That's okay," he said quietly, sitting down by the dresser. "I told Hinata she could rent out this room if necessary."

"It was very necessary," Tenten said. Neji didn't reply. Even in the low light she could tell he was looking at her. As Tenten's eyes adjusted to the low light, she could barely make out his features. His face was hard and unwelcoming, the corners of his mouth drooping down ad he looked at her. He had strong cheekbones, a somewhat flat nose, and tilted eyes. His eyes were silvery white like Hinata's, but a grayer shade than her lavender. She found him quite handsome, actually, even though she was not the type of girl to go throwing that word around.

Somehow, the room felt safer when he was there. She found herself drifting to sleep in his presence, comforted by it.

* * *

He was still there when she woke up. Rolling over to her side she let her gaze rest on him. His eyes were closed as though he was sleeping, but she knew he wasn't. She smiled as he opened his left eye slightly, looking at her.

"Morning," she said.

"Good morning," he replied.

Tenten managed to get out of bed and downstairs without drawing too much attention to herself. The inn was quiet that morning. She slumped down in a chair in the lobby, looking around. Hinata wasn't there. Neji, however, emerged from the doorway few seconds after Tenten. He walked to the counter and disappeared into a room behind it. Tenten didn't move an inch, slouching in her chair. When he returned, she motioned for him to come closer.

"Sit," she ordered, pointing at one of the free chairs. "It's lonely here."

He smirked slightly before sitting down. "Hn."

She noticed his fangs. They were much bigger than Hinata's. In the daylight she could see that her description of him had been correct: he was reasonably handsome, if she could say so about a near stranger.

Tenten closed her eyes briefly, noticing how safe she felt again. It seemed that whenever he was around, she felt this way; safe and protected.

* * *

She was perfectly content with her life at that point. She had somewhat of a home, though it wasn't even her room. She had work. A new friend. She had food every day and a bed to sleep in every night. After her weeks in the woods, just having roof over her head was a blessing. The days passed at their own pace, some fast, some slow. She found that Neji wasn't home often, but when he was, he stayed in his room. The room she borrowed. Some nights she would stay awake for a long time, just talking to him, and other nights she would stay awake just watching him in silence. Her life was just great.

One day, when she returned from running an errand for the Hyugas, she found that the inn door had been torn off its hinges. She grabbed the doorframe with shivering fingers, suddenly too dizzy to stand straight.

_He_ was there. She just knew it. The red eyed vampire. Somehow, he had found her.

She entered the inn. What had happened there? Her stomach turned as she walked through the lobby. It looked a mess. Chairs were overturned, broken glasses on the floor. She carefully stepped around the shards, breathing heavily. Was there nobody there? Had no one been hurt?

Tenten let her fingers trail along the heavy wooden countertop. Were there not claw marks on it? And over there, in the corner, wasn't that a body, covered in blood..? She shook her head, willing the nightmarish visions out of her brain. "Don't be morbid," she hissed to herself. "It's gonna be okay."

Somehow, she knew where he was. Tenten walked up the stairs as calmly as she could. She had to see if he had hurt any of the Hyugas. The house was dead quiet. Not even her door made a sound when she opened it.

"There you are, little bird."


	4. Chapter 4

The moment she opened the door to her room, Tenten knew she had made a mistake. She was dead wrong. He wasn't in her room. She hadn't had any other options, but the room was painfully empty.

No, the sleek voice had come from behind her. She whirled around, but not quickly enough – the redeye grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her against the wall. She let out a cry of pain.

"Oh, sorry," he said in a mocking tone. "I sure hope I didn't hurt you."

Tenten tried to free herself, wriggling in his grasp, but he held fast. He was too strong.

"How did you find me?" she hissed, trying her best to land a good kick on him. He laughed briefly at her struggles, and then sobered.

"I have my methods," he said. He pointed at his nose. "This is one of them, little bird."

As she struggled against his grip, she couldn't help but wonder: was this the end? Would she die there, at the hands of the red-eyed vampire she feared so much? She suddenly felt his breath on his neck and gained new power.

"No!" She exclaimed, freeing her right arm and hitting him square in the face. He staggered for a moment, his triumphant smirk vanishing. The next thing Tenten knew was pain. She buckled over, clutching at her stomach where he had punched her. She dropped to the floor, gasping for air. Though she couldn't see them, she could feel his burning eyes on her. He was angry. He hadn't expected to be hit.

From her position on the floor, Tenten could only see his feet, but that was good enough. She could avoid him with just that. Catching her breath and tasting blood, she got on her knees and kicked off from the floor, sprinting down the hallway.

He was after her immediately. She could hear the swishing of his clothes, his almost soundless footsteps, and his breath as he chased her down the hall. He caught her with ease, throwing her up against the wall again. His forearm pushed against her throat, making it difficult to breathe – and to escape.

"Why are you after me, anyway?" she spat, struggling feebly against him. The redeye looked at her with curiosity, as though he was considering how much pressure it might take before her neck snapped.

"Why, little bird, are you saying I shouldn't be able to have fun?"

My stomach turned. "F-fun?"

"Indeed," he said quietly, tilting his head. In the light of the hallway I could see his features clearly. He had a long, thin face with hollow cheeks and deep-set eyes with dark circles around them. He looked thin, no, malnourished. It occurred to her that he probably didn't get to eat much when hunting her. Not that she sympathized; rather, it could be a strategic advantage against him if he was hungry and weak. "When you're a vampire, nothing seems exhilarating anymore," he continued. "You live, a few more centuries than the humans, you feed, and you die. That's it, so I came up with this little game to keep myself entertained."

He reached out, stroking her cheek thoughtfully. She wanted to bite his fingers off, but couldn't move.

"You've been most entertaining," he murmured before reaching down and grabbing her wrist. "Perhaps your blood is just as good as your hiding capabilities?"

As much as she struggled, Tenten couldn't free herself as he lifted her wrist up to his mouth. His breath was warm on her skin, and she could feel his fangs pressing against her flesh. "Don't!" She screamed, hot tears welling up in her eyes. She knew there was nothing she could do. "You can't have it! I won't let you –"

His teeth disappeared from her wrist in an instant. His arm also vanished from her throat, and she could breathe freely again. She heard a hiss and several thumping sounds before looking up and opening her eyes to see what was happening. Clenching her wrist, she backed off, going further down the hall. Redeye didn't notice his prey slinking away – he was busy.

Tenten felt a sudden surge of happiness and hope in the middle of it all. He had come to save her.

"Neji," she said quietly, letting go of her wrist at last. The vampire's teeth hadn't punctured her skin, and she was thankful for that. Neji's silvery eyes found hers for a split second, and she knew he had heard her. She smiled shakily. Neji was there. It was going to be okay. As the two vampires fought, Tenten sank into the shadows, not wanting to call attention to her presence.

"You again?!" The redeye's voice was strained, and Tenten saw that he was injured. Neji didn't reply. The commotion ended with a sudden roar and a swish of fabric as the redeye disappeared into Tenten's room, jumping out through the open window. Left in the hallway was Neji, breathing heavily, leaning onto the wall for support. He was covered in dark red blood, and it was impossible to tell which was his own and which was Redeye's. Tenten tore away from the shadows, running towards the long-haired vampire.

"Are you okay?" she asked. He looked at her. Thin lines of blood ran down from a cut on his cheek. "You're hurt."

The corner of his mouth quirked upwards. "Hn. You don't say."

Tenten shook her head. "How can you be in such a serious situation, yet still retain your ability to be sarcastic?"

It was Neji's turn to shake his head. He gave a small chuckle, leaning a bit heavier on the wall as he straightened. "Tenten, why was he here?"

She swallowed. "Well…" Was it really the best time? Well, as good a time as any, she supposed. "I don't know why. He said it's a game to keep himself entertained…"

"When was the first time you saw him?" Neji demanded, and Tenten jumped at his crass tone.

"Uh, t-three years ago," she said shakily. "He came into my house and…my brother…" she felt the sudden urge to cry. "My brother…"

Neji laid a cold hand on her shoulder. "I understand," he said. "You don't have to explain it. Don't say any more."

She nodded shakily, putting her hand on top of his. "He told me to run. He said that when he caught me, I'd die."

"He was wrong," Neji said grimly. "You survived. This time, at least."

Tenten shuddered at the blunt truth in his words and nodded, her fingers tightening around his. "Thank you."


	5. Chapter 5

Tenten woke up to a gentle, warm breeze. She scrunched up her nose before opening her eyes a crack to see what it might be.

"Whoa!"

She shoved herself back against the wall, hitting it with a thud. She had _not _expected to wake up face-to-face with Hyuga Neji, the breeze being his breath. He smirked. "Good morning, sleepy."

"Good morning, creepy," Tenten said, shaking her head as she calmed down.

It was a normal day. She had fallen asleep in her – Neji's – room to the sound of his breaths, and woken to find him there. She would get up, have a quick shower, and run out to do her duties. The Hyuga family still let her stay at the inn for free, as long as she did a few menial tasks for them, such as running errands or carrying things. It was two weeks since the redeye had been in the house. Tenten hadn't seen or heard anything of him since, and was glad about that, though anxious that he would just disappear. Perhaps he was off to feed, to regain his strength? Planning his next move as he licked his wounds from his encounter with Neji? Plotting to return much stronger and kill them all? Tenten shook her head as she placed a crate on the store room table. Why did she always let her imagination run from her like that? She was being silly. She shouldn't worry too much about it.

"Tenten?"

She looked up to see Hinata. The girl was standing in front of her with another crate in her hands. It probably contained food items. It seemed as though Hinata wanted to talk.

"Yeah?" Tenten said daftly.

"About what happened…y'know, two weeks ago? I've been worried about you. You seem so distracted all the time. Are you okay?"

"Sorry," Tenten smiled. "I've just been thinking a lot about it. Wondering why it happened and stuff. Don't worry about me."

Hinata put the crate down, looking sort of down. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help," she said quietly.

"No! No, that's alright," Tenten said, shaking her head with vigor. "Neji was there, after all, so…"

She trailed off, losing track of what she was saying. Something clicked in her brain. Her eyes grew wide as she slowly remembered.

"What's wrong?" Hinata asked worriedly.

"Neji was…there," Tenten whispered, ignoring her. Without another word she turned and sprinted up the stairs, tearing open the door to her room. He had left. Damn it. "Where _is _he during the day, anyway?" she mused.

Tenten stomped back downstairs to a confused Hinata. "Hinata," she said. "Where does Neji go during the day?"

Hinata tilted her head slightly. "I don't know," she said. "No one knows. Nowhere outside, that's for certain, since the sunlight would burn him…"

"So he's still in the inn somewhere?" Tenten asked excitedly. Hinata shrugged, but that was enough for Tenten. She bounded back to her room, ripping open the top drawer of the dresser. She knew Neji kept his keys there. And there they were, as she expected. She snatched them. Surely Neji wouldn't mind her borrowing them for a bit.

In a much better mood than before she went out to find Hyuga Neji's hiding place, jingling his keys. As he was part of the Hyuga family, he had the keys to every door in the inn on his keychain, and they rattled and clanged against each other with every step she took. She already had a good idea of how the inn was laid out, so she went out of her way to find places she hadn't been yet.

Success! She found herself faced with a wooden staircase. Strange, she thought she was already on the top floor. Maybe there was an attic? Curiosity grabbed her and she climbed the stairs quickly. The steps bore evidence of being rarely used, and it creaked horribly when she made her way up. Soon she was in the dark attic, breathing age-old dusty air. The cracked roof and walls let in enough light for her to just barely make out where to put her feet, and she quickly located a rusty metal ladder attached to the ceiling. It led up to a suspicious square in the roof. A trap door? What else could there be, beyond the attic? Her adventurous instincts broke out and she grinned, quickly climbing the ladder. Neji's keys jingled, dangling from her belt loop.

Tenten pushed on the trap door, but it didn't budge. She cursed softly, curiosity gnawing away at her. She wanted to see what was up there, dammit! She pushed it again, hearing a soft creak. Maybe she needed more power? She backed down the ladder a bit, and then threw herself at the trap door. She rammed into it with her shoulder, and it groaned loudly as it came open. Tenten smirked and climbed out, looking around.

She felt the nice breeze on her face and smiled. She soon realized she'd found some sort of tower, a squared area with roof on top of the inn. It was tiny. Neji was leaning against one of the walls, and she noticed how no sunlight entered any part of the tower.

"Hey," he said quietly, seeming surprised to see her. His surprise was not obvious, but she had learned to read him.

"There you are!" Tenten beamed and walked over to him.

"You found me. Congratulations," he said darkly, but a small smile was playing on his lips. Tenten exhaled with a grin, sitting down by the wall.

"It wasn't easy, I'll give you that," she said lightly. "But these keys of yours helped." She unhooked them from her belt loop and jingled them at him. He snatched them from her hand.

"I bet they did," he said sourly. "Is there any reason you're looking for me?"

"Yeah! I remembered stuff?"

"_Stuff_? What stuff?"

"Stuff I was too shocked to remember last time you asked," she said. "About the first time I met Redeye."

It felt as if all his senses sharpened, turning every speck of attention towards her. "You do?"

She nodded, grasping his arm and pulling him down into a sitting position next to her. "I don't know if it's relevant, but…"

* * *

_She laughed. Why? There were so many things to laugh at, really. She laughed at how her friends always tried to pursue her to get a boyfriend, already. She laughed at how the mailman always seemed to miss a few houses. She laughed at how her life was just perfect._

_She entered the house she and her little family – consisting of one brother – lived in. It wasn't a very big house, just barely big enough for two people, but it was cozy. She loved living there, she loved the people there, and she loved the village. She skipped through the door, still laughing her joy out. _

"_Tenten? You seem awful happy," a voice called from the tiny living room._

"_Yeah," she said as she got her shoes off. "I am."_

_Her brother was sitting in the living room. He was five years older than her, and the two of them looked very much alike. She ran into the living room, grinning, and carelessly tossed her backpack to the floor. _

"_How was school?" he asked mockingly. He always had to do that when he had a day off and she didn't. Tenten stuck her tongue out at him._

"_It was very fun and entertaining," she said. "It's too bad you weren't there."_

_They had both laughed then. They had always shared a special bond, Tenten and her brother._

* * *

_One day, only a few after she had been so happy, something happened. She came home, through that same door, only to have a heavy backpack thrown at her._

"_Wh-what?"_

_Her brother looked at her. There was a new darkness in his eyes. His brown hair hung over his face, hiding his eyes as he bent down. He tied his shoelaces tightly, tighter than she'd ever seen him tie anything, and straightened up again._

"_Tenten. Are you able to carry that backpack?"_

_She nodded feebly, her hands shaking slightly. There was something about him…he wasn't the same. She thought of it as a darkness in his soul. Something evil inside of him that had just been born, writhing to life and seizing his mind. He picked up a backpack of his own and put it on, pulling his hood over his face. Tenten saw that his hands were shaking, too, and found some comfort in that. Maybe there was still something left of the kindhearted boy he used to be. Something that resisted the darkness._

"_We're leaving."_

"_What?"_

"_Tenten, we have to leave this place. For good."_

_Her eyes watered as the truth dawned on her. They weren't coming back. This was it. "Why?" she asked loudly, wiping tears angrily from her eyes. He said nothing for a long time. "Answer me!"_

_He didn't. Instead, he grabbed her hand and pulled her with him through the door. He didn't even lock it; she assumed he didn't have the time. _

_And then they ran. He ran so fast, too fast, and she couldn't keep up with him. That was the first time she'd seen her brother close to a nervous breakdown. He kept tugging her arm, kept telling her to hurry. She didn't understand. She kept yelling at him, demanding that he told her what was going on, why they were running, why they weren't coming back._

_He kept quiet._

_It wasn't until the next morning, at the break of dawn, he saw fit to explain. "Tenten," he said, taking her hands in his warm ones. "There's a dangerous man after us. He…" Her brother looked away briefly, clearing his throat. "He killed our parents. And now he's found us."_

"_Why?" she asked, expecting him to go back to his own happy-go-lucky, all-knowing self. To her, his little sister, he had seemed to know everything in the world. Sadly, his face betrayed him. He was tearing up and, looking away from her bitterly, said:_

"_I don't know."_

_Tenten felt tears of her own welling up. "Don't say that," she said, tugging at his coat. "You're my big bro. You know everything."_

_He shook his head viciously. "I don't, Tenten! You need to realize that! I'm just a kid like you." He seemed to notice how she shook, and pulled her closer, hugging her tightly. She buried her face into his black jacket and sniffled a couple of times._

"_Don't ever leave me," Tenten whispered. "I don't know how to survive on my own."_

_He was quiet. She could feel him trembling, and she knew he was crying. Her brother had never been afraid to show his tears. In her eyes, it only added to his bravery. After a while he cleared his throat. "This man… is a vampire, Tenten. You know vampires, right?"_

_She nodded. Of course she knew them. Some of her best friends were vampires, and the neighbor, and…she started tearing up again, remembering how she'd never see any of them again._

_"He's the worst vampire I've ever met. He has gleaming red eyes, Tenten. His hair is black and spiky, and if you ever see him, run."_

_She nodded. She couldn't say anything; her voice didn't respond when she tried to use it._

_"Do you remember…" he swallowed, as if he feared her response to whatever he had to say. "Do you know," he corrected, "how to… How to kill a vampire?"_

_She went cold. Twisting out of his grasp she shook my head vigorously. "No!" she yelled. "No! I'm not going to kill anybody! Please, brother, don't! I'll never forgive you if you kill anyone! Even if it is the vampire who killed our parents! I won't let you, understand!?" she was hammering her fists into his chest. He bowed his head, his hair covering his eyes again._

_"Tenten," he said, and she flinched; there was hardness in his tone, something she had never heard before. "If it gets bad…if he…hurts you…I swear, no matter what you say, I _will_ kill him!"_

"_Please," she begged quietly between sobs. "Please, brother. Please don't kill anybody!"_

_He didn't listen. She__ bit her lip as tears rolled down her cheeks. She bit her lip hard, intensely hard, until it bled. She didn't care about the blood trickling down her chin; she didn't care about the tears marring her face. She clutched his jacket between her sore fingers. "Please…I won't let you turn into a murderer!"_

* * *

_"Tenten… I'll ask you again… do you or do you now know how to kill a vampire?"_

_She bit her lip again, as she had so many times the past three days. Her lips were sore now, and it stung every time she bit it. _

"_Fine," she said. "I don't. Happy?"_

"_No," he replied. "That means I have to teach you."_

_She looked down, too tired now to object. She had had enough of fights. They had them too often nowadays. "Brother, please… Tell me… Why you've changed?"_

_He remained silent. "Sorry," he said after a while._

_It stung. She looked away, once again letting her teeth find her lower lip._

* * *

"_A direct stab to the heart is the most effective," her brother said. She nodded dully. "Direct sunlight will make a vampire burn to ashes, and silver will repel them. So will a cross. You can also decapitate them, but that's not as easy for a twelve-year old to do."_

_She didn't really listen to him. She didn't want to know how to kill a vampire. She didn't want her brother to be so cold. _

* * *

"_Tenten, we're here."_

_Tenten opened her eyes. She had been too tired to walk, so her brother had decided to carry her on his back. His back was broad and warm. She remembered how he used to carry her whenever she asked, and they would run around together like that almost all day. _

_They were standing in front of a house. She looked at it for a long time._

"_We're gonna live there, Tenten."_

_For the first time in days, her brother sounded genuinely happy. She managed a smile. "That's great," she mumbled, too tired to really get enthusiastic._

"_You're fatigued," he mumbled, carrying her into the house. She lost consciousness halfway through the door._

* * *

_When she came to, she was lying in a soft bed. As her eyes fluttered open she realized how safe she felt. "Brother?" He was there. She felt his presence, his safe, warm presence. He was asleep. When she saw him sleeping there, resting his head against the edge of her bed, he looked just like the soft, brave, kind brother she loved so much. She reached out and gently brushed her fingers over his hair._

_It's all over, she thought grimly. Nothing's ever going to be the same._

* * *

_And then, three years later, he was killed before her eyes. She felt the pain brewing in her chest as she ran from the redeye, the redeye her brother had tried to make her kill. The redeye he had told her to flee from, all in the same sentence, the vampire who would edge her life's path through it all. She knew she couldn't keep running. But the vampire's words had intrigued her; who was "he"? The one who had protected me before?_

_She couldn't remember anything from the redeye's first assault. Nobody expected her to, because she'd barely been a few months of age. Her heartbeat was loud. She almost thought her heart would burst. She felt it banging against her ribs like it wanted to escape; which would probably be safest._

_She grit her teeth against the pain in her chest, focusing on one thing: survival._

* * *

Tenten closed her eyes. "I wish I hadn't remembered. It hurts."

"Thanks for telling me," Neji said. She noticed how soft he could make his voice sound. "It must've been hard. Come here."

He slowly reached out, putting his arms around her, and pulled her closer for a good, warm hug. She needed that. Needed to know that someone cared. She needed that a lot.


	6. Chapter 6

As the day ended, the sun fading away into darkness behind the mountains, Neji slipped out from his little hiding place on the roof. He never used the stairs to get back inside. He would alert everyone in the house if he did, and he didn't want them all to know where he stayed during the day; Tenten had found out, and he'd let her stay up there with him, but a secret isn't a secret if more than two people know about it. He was already wary about _her_ knowing; he didn't need Hinata meddling in his affairs, too.

Neji let himself fall from the ceiling, rolling off as though he had lost consciousness. He fell quickly, but time seemed to pass slowly for him. Just moments before hitting the ground he turned in the air like a cat and landed softly with a small thud. Being a vampire had its ups and downs; such reflexes and strength were a positive side to it. As he straightened up, he noticed the lights were still on in Tenten's – his – room. He looked at it for a long time before nodding quietly to himself and entering the house. Neji barely even greeted Hinata as he passed through the lobby. Entering his room, he found Tenten, sitting on the floor by the dresser and reading a book. She looked up as he entered.

"Hey," she said, closing the book. "I was just looking though my old backpack and found this book. By the way, I can see why you like to always sit here. It's right by the heater, so it never gets cold."

"Vampires don't feel cold," he said dismissively. "So what are you reading?"

Tenten flipped it around and looked at the cover. "It's a romance novel. You wouldn't like it. It's really cheesy." She held out the book, showing him. "_Forever and Always_."

"You're right, I probably wouldn't like it," Neji said, taking the book and examining it. There was a picture of a woman on the cover. She was with a man. The two were staring passionately into each other's eyes, apparently burning with desire. Neji quirked an eyebrow and looked up at Tenten.

"You like this sort of thing?" he asked curiously.

"Not really," Tenten admitted. "It's too …daft."

"Then why read it?"

She shrugged. "Guilty pleasure? I was bored." She yawned then, crawling into bed and curling up with her back facing the wall. "Good night, Neji."

"Good night." Neji took his place by the dresser and closed his eyes. Soon, he heard the slow, steady sound of her sleeping breaths. Carefully, he stood up again, being as quiet as possible as he crossed the room and turned out the lights. He could see just as well in the dark. Vampires were much like cats, he thought with a smirk. Sharp reflexes, night vision, many lives.

Neji sat back down and breathed deeply, inadvertently inhaling Tenten's scent. He had to admit that she smelled good. Not just her blood, but her own smell, a smell he could not describe if he tried. All things have their own smell. Hers happened to be nice. It was a very light smell, that hovered in the air around her and was pushed out of her nose with every breath.

He smiled to himself. At first, he had thought having a human in the inn would be troublesome, but she had proved quite useful. Especially considering how the Hyugas couldn't exit the inn during the day, being vampires and all. Tenten could run errands for them during the day.

Opening his eye he reached out and gently touched the hair hanging over Tenten's forehead. In the same movement he noticed how warm she was; then again, he hadn't been that close to any human in years, so had forgotten about the difference in body temperature. He had cold, dead flesh; hers was alive and warm. Neji drew his hand away with a scowl. His mind wandered back to that day.

* * *

"_Get out of here," he growled. __The girl was panic-stricken, unable to do anything but quiver. Her feet were planted firmly in the ground and it seemed like she would never move._ _The black-haired vampire in front of them spat a few drops of blood out of his mouth, baring his fangs. Neji's neck still stung from the piercing marks those fangs had created. "Come on! Run!"_

_The girl's eyes shifted. He was near to hitting her, or maybe shoving her out the door. She was still young, maybe around twelve; she would most likely forget everything that was happening. Neji clutched at his neck and grit his teeth against the pain. The two small puncture marks on his neck stung and burned. _

_The red-eyed vampire, seemingly impatient, lunged forwards, crashing into Neji. The girl let out a scream as the two men burst through the window, falling to the ground below. The airborne fight was not long, and all Neji remembered of it was screaming as he fell, the vampire's blood splashing against his face from the cuts he had received when crashing through the window. __A few drops had fallen into Neji's mouth. They tasted bad; they stung like fire as they made their way down his throat. And he knew. He knew it was too late for him._

_Neji slammed into the ground, landing hard on his back and getting the wind completely knocked out of him. The vampire had managed to twist around in the air, landing smoothly on all fours next to Neji. He kicked him in the side. Once, twice. Neji turned to his side, clutching his stomach. It hurt so badly. He heard the redeye snickering as he leaned down. _

"_My name is Uchiha Sasuke," he hissed. "And don't you forget it."_

_Neji lay there all night, feeling an unwelcome cold spreading through his limbs. It came from his neck, from the bite, and he somehow could feel it reaching for his heart. He had long since stopped coughing up blood, and the pain had dulled; now only cold remained. He was sure the girl had gotten away. He had seen her run away with someone – a relative, perhaps. _

_His eyes were stinging and watery. Neji could barely close them; the rest of his body he couldn't move in the slightest. All he could do was lay there and hope that it would pass soon._ _As the sun rose he began to get anxious. He knew what had happened to him, and if he didn't move out of the way soon, the sun would burn him to a crisp. He tried moving his fingers, his toes, his face, but nothing would respond. As the sunlight stretched its bright arms towards him, he thought about how he'd never be able to feel it on his body again. He thought about his family. The family who consisted of vampires – except for his mother, whom nobody knew who was. His father was dead and his uncle knew just as much as him. _

_Neji, born as a human, had never quite fitted in with the rest of the family. _

_And here he was, turned into one of them. How convenient. _

_The sun's rays never did reach him, however. He felt his muscles loosening up at the last second, and he stumbled to his feet. His balance was off, and he nearly fell right into the light, but stayed on his feet and staggered through the small neighborhood and into the forest. All the while the new threat of the sun was right behind him, but it only made him grit my teeth and keep going._

_He slumped down by a tree, well into the woods. The trees stood close, so close that no light slipped through. He was tired, but couldn't sleep. A vampire doesn't sleep. When the night came he started making his way towards the inn. He was stumbling and had to use the trees for support, and his eyes were hazy; but somehow, he made it._

_On the way he wondered how the rest of his family would react once they saw him like that; battered, bloody and most importantly: a vampire. Neji wondered why he'd been dumb enough to jump into combat with an adult vampire while he was just human. Then again, he _had_ saved that girl's life._


	7. Chapter 7

"Neji?"

He looked up. "Hn?"

Tenten let her arms hang off her bed as she rolled over to lie on her belly. It was still early in the morning. "Do vampires have hearts?"

He looked at her for a long time. Then, he averted his gaze. "Why do you ask?"

She bit her lip. "'cause," she started, "When I woke up you were being all close and creepy again. I listened, but I couldn't hear a heartbeat."

"Well, your hearing isn't as advanced as mine," he said slowly. "You wouldn't have been able to –"

"Just answer the question, Neji," she laughed.

Neji put his hand on his chest, looking down with a thoughtful expression. "Well, we do," he said. "They don't beat often, and they don't beat hard, but they beat sometimes. Not steadily like yours; it depends on our mood. It'll beat if we get excited, for example."

"That's so weird!" Tenten exclaimed excitedly. "How does it feel?"

He shrugged. "When it beats, it feels just like normal," he said. "When it doesn't, it doesn't feel like anything at all. We don't need hearts."

"Don't need them? How come?"

"I don't know why it is," he admitted. "But a vampire can live on even if his heart was removed. As long as he wasn't stabbed in the heart with a wooden stake, that is. A vampire without a heart, while weaker than a normal vampire, will still thrive."

Tenten had fallen silent, preoccupied with her thoughts. To be able to live on, even though your heart had been ripped from your body? That was absurd, it was morbid. Yet she was curious about vampires, wanting to learn more about Neji's kind.

"So if you lost your heart, how weak would you be?" she asked.

"You probably wouldn't even notice," he said. "Hinata, she doesn't…have one."

"She doesn't!? How come?"

"She was born with heart disease. Her heart failed and died years ago. Yet she lives on, due to her vampirism. She is weak." There was a certain crass tone in his voice as he spoke, as though he did not think very highly of his cousin's abilities.

Tenten, deciding to stay away from the subject of Hinata for now, put her feet on the floor and stretched. "Hey, I didn't eat anything yet. I'm gonna go get breakfast. Wanna come?"

"Hn."

She wasn't sure if that was a yes or a no, but in any case he followed her out. On her way downstairs, she suddenly remembered another thing to ask Neji about – the Hyugas' strange, grayish white eyes. She had wondered about it a lot, actually; why did they look like that? She had found no plausible answers on her own, but maybe she could ask Neji. She slumped down in a chair in the lobby with a loud sigh.

"Neji, explain me things," she groaned. "I don't understand you lot."

"What can I help you with?" he asked coolly, walking up as quietly as a cat and sitting down opposite her. "I thought you were going to cook?"

"Just…one more question first," she pleaded, and he nodded. "Why do you all have those eyes? You Hyugas."

"It's just a trait," Neji said, sounding more than fed up with her. "It's a vampire trait. It's said that vampires with odd eyes are special somehow, that we're more powerful. The Hyuga family is said to be one of the most powerful vampire families. We all have the eyes. Even I have them. It's just a trait. They don't do anything."

"That's cool!" Tenten beamed. "They look nice on you."

"Hn."

His disinterest was disheartening. She looked down for a moment, wondering what she had said wrong, before getting up and walking to the kitchen. When she was well away from his emotionless glare, Tenten exhaled, relieved to be out of sight. Usually, she enjoyed spending time with Neji. She liked the way he talked, the way he looked at her. Today was different, though. It was as though he was distancing himself from her, trying to shy away. He had seemed happy enough to join her for breakfast, but his mood had plummeted since then, and she couldn't help but think it was something she had done or said. She bit her lip, leaning onto the kitchen counter. Why did it bother her so much, anyway?

The answer came quickly: because he was a friend. Yes, Neji was, no matter how much he tried to be cold and emotionless, her friend. Her eyebrows pulled together in determination. She _would_ figure out what was wrong. For the sake of their friendship.

* * *

Tenten stepped back into the bar, carrying a plate with her breakfast and a glass of juice. She had prepared herself a slice of bread with cheese on top, and an extra bread slice for Neji.

"Sure took you a while to cook your marvelous bread slice," Neji said sourly.

She felt a jab of irritation, but decided to let it slip, calming herself down. She couldn't go snapping at him. She had to get to the bottom of this. She sat back down in her chair, holding out the extra slice of bread. "Here."

Neji frowned. "What?"

"Vampires need breakfast too."

He shook his head, as though questioning her state of mind, before taking the bread from her grudgingly. Somewhat warily, he began to eat.

"By the way," Tenten said, "Don't vampires usually feed off blood?"

Neji looked up, sending her a sharp glare. She winced. "Yes," he said. "But we can eat other things. It's just not necessary for us."

Tenten nodded slowly and continued to eat. "How long have you been a vampire, Neji?" The question had slipped between her lips before she'd meant to. She could see how he visibly tensed up. Biting her lip, she silently prayed that he wouldn't get mad. She exhaled as she saw his muscles relax after a few seconds.

"Three years," he said, and once again she noticed how flat his tone was. He obviously didn't want to talk about that. Tenten made a mental note to not breach the subject too many times.

"Anyway," she said, trying to lead the awkward silence back into conversation, "How is Hinata? I haven't seen her in a while."

Neji's eyes clouded over in an unreadable emotion and he looked away. He was relaxed again, but she knew there was something he wasn't telling her. "Hinata is fine," he said. "She's just been out of town a few days, that's all."

"Alright," Tenten said, before processing what that meant. They were alone in the inn. She hadn't seen the mysterious woman from the first day since way back then, and she had been too scared to ask who she was. She didn't want to set off the ticking bomb that was the end of Neji's patience. She couldn't probe too far into the Hyugas' business.

Why did the thought of being alone with Neji send both jolts of fear and a sort of bubbliness through her body? She frowned a bit. Strange. They sat in silence for a long time. The only sound she heard was their chewing. She had run out of topics to bring up. As always around him she was cautious of what she said. Everything had to be thought through, especially since her outgoing nature often made her blurt out with things best left unsaid.

"Tenten…"

She looked up with a surprised expression. Neji didn't start conversation often. She was always the one wanting socialization.

"Yes?" she croaked.

He paused, seemingly at a loss for words. Tenten raised her eyebrows. Hyuga Neji, unable to find words? That was a rare sight. Neji _always_ knew what to say.

"I… Thank you," Neji said, his gaze faltering just a second to look down at his hands.

Tenten forced her eyebrows back down. "For what?" she asked. Surely, he was not referring to the loaf of bread she had forced him to eat.

"For…coming here." He hesitated again. She was about to say how she didn't have much of a choice back then, but bit the words back to let him continue. "I never did notice this feeling before. I just recently discovered it, and the connection it had with you."

Tenten put her plate down, looking at him expectantly. She was curious, _really_ curious. She leaned an inch closer.

"Whenever you're away, or I'm on the roof alone, the feeling comes back. It's a familiar feeling to me – I just never really noticed it until now. I just realized what that empty feeling I always had was; I was lonely. Every time you leave I get lonely again, and all I want is for you to come back."

Tenten was at a loss for words as he returned to his usual brooding self. What could she say, anyway? _You're welcome_? No, that didn't sound right at all. She kept her gaze averted to avoid embarrassing herself.

"Uh, I…" she hesitated, praying that someone would suddenly blast the door open and distract them; but no one came. Exhaling deeply she looked up, meeting his cold eyes. "Oh, screw it. You get what I mean, right?"

Neji smirked lightly before shaking his head slightly. "No, I don't. Please elaborate further."

Tenten ground her teeth together. Didn't he see that she _couldn't_? "Uhm," she started hesitantly. "Y'know… I… I don't mind being around you and… I guess… I was lonely, too."

He sighed lowly. "What lousy inn this is, huh? Letting our special live-ins be lonely."

She laughed. "Oh, yes. You're truly terrible." She fell silent again, watching him carefully. She lurched to the edge of her seat. She wanted to just jump at him and hug it out, to feel his arms around her and squeeze the life – ha – out of him. A good friendship hug. He probably wouldn't appreciate it, though. He'd get mad. Tenten looked away. "Um, so, how are you?" she asked.

Neji looked at her with a touch of humor in his expression. "At a loss for words, are we?"

She stuck out her lip at him. "Not like you're terribly talkative," she said. "I had to say _something_."

A low chuckle and he stood up. "You're right," he said, reaching out. "Let's go up into the tower. There's a less risk of somebody coming up there, so we can talk in peace."

Tenten was slightly confused, but accepted hand he offered and followed him into the attic. They had to use the creaking, wobbly ladder up there, for she'd delayed Neji's usual schedule of making his way up there at the break of day.

They sat down by each their wall, at a respectful distance from each other. Tenten kept her stare locked down, as if she was afraid to look up.

Neji cleared his throat. "Eh, this may be a bit sudden, but it's been a few weeks, hasn't it?" Before she got to reply he'd opened his mouth again. "No," he said. "Actually, it's been a couple of months. How time flies, huh?"

She nodded quietly.

"I was thinking that we should get you your own room soon. Mine isn't very… Well, you get what I mean."

"No," she said. "I don't want a new room. I don't need a new room." The surprise was easily readable in his face as she met his gaze, her eyes burning with determination. "How am I going to fall asleep at night without knowing you're right beside me? How am I going to wake up without you there to freak me out? This is the same loneliness as we talked about before, Neji! The one that comes when one is away and the other's left behind, the one that's always present! I don't want to fall asleep alone, not ever, no!"

She'd expected him to get angry with her for her clinginess, for overreacting in such a way. Instead, he started smiling, and then chuckling.

"I'm glad to hear that," he said. "Because I wouldn't want to keep sneaking into your new room."

"You'd do that?"

"Every night."

A weird sort of heat tinted her cheeks as her mouth widened into a grin. "Thank you," she said.


	8. Chapter 8

Neji closed his eyes, turning his face away from the advancing sunlight. He knew it wouldn't hit him, as he was well hidden from its rays within his little tower, but he instinctively drew away nonetheless. Sighing lightly, he wondered why he was so _bored_. He didn't usually get bored easily. There was always something to think about, something to occupy his mind, but now he was bored. He leaned his head against the tower wall with a small exhale. He had decided to sit down there in the corner after pacing around the tower several times, but now he wanted to get up again. He wanted to _do something_.

Why couldn't he rest? Why didn't his tense muscles relax? Why was it that, every time he saw her, he got the insatiable urge to…he could barely think the thought through. _To kill something_, an unwelcome voice in the back of his head hissed. _Yes, to kill something. To sink your fangs into that vampire, the one that hurt her._

That goddamn Uchiha Sasuke. Yes, that was the truth. He wanted to kill that vampire. Neji bared his fangs at the glistening sunlight, wishing it would go away so he could go hunt Sasuke down. Where was Sasuke now? Was he hidden away in a cave somewhere? Was he already on his way? Neji had a sneaking suspicion that the adult vampire was not done with Tenten yet. The thought made his stomach turn and his blood freeze to ice.

He wouldn't let him. He wouldn't allow Uchiha Sasuke to hurt her. Without Neji noticing it, his fists had clenched and he had grit his teeth. He cursed softly under his breath as he attempted to get himself to relax. He felt the surging hunger so clearly, bloodlust rising in his head like hot steam. He had to get some to drink. He had to feed like a vampire again.

But how? It was daytime. He couldn't go out hunting now. Neji closed his eyes again, screwing them shut in agony. He was so hungry. So needy.

_There are people in the inn, you know,_ the voice from before whispered. No. He would never hurt anybody in the inn. They were guests. _Not all of them are guests._ Be quiet.

That thought was too despicable to think. He would never, ever take _her _blood. His stomach turned and he pulled his knees up, as if he was trying to take up less space in the tower. Being a vampire wasn't easy. He hid his face in his hands with a long sigh. How could he possibly live with it? The constant lust for blood, the _hunger_. He…he wanted her blood. He wanted her blood so much more than other humans'. Neji wanted her blood! _Tenten's _blood. How could he? He wanted to bash his head through the wood wall. He wanted to get away; he wanted to sink his teeth into his own forearm just to make the thoughts stop hounding him. Her scent filled the inn now, hanging in every room he went to. In his current state, that was…intolerable. Impossible. Poisonous.

It was all Redeye's fault! _He _was the one who made Neji like this. By accidentally swallowing a few drops of that accursed blood, Neji had been condemned to that life. Trapped forever in a body that would always lust for human blood. He was stuck with the lust, the hunger, and the poison.

It wasn't blood. That which surfaced when he bit into his own thumb in frustration wasn't blood. It was _poison_. Inhaling its scent he frowned, a deep, angry frown, and curled his fingers into fists again. It was _his _blood, merging with Neji's own to create the vampire he was today. _His_ blood tainting the red drops, making them float out and disperse before his eyes, twisting, turning, venomous…

Neji shook his head. He was hallucinating. Seeing things. His blood had been alive, moving like a snake across his skin. Of course it hadn't been real. It was just his hunger, his bloodlust, playing tricks on him.

_No_, he told himself. _I'll hold back a little longer._

* * *

As he walked down the hallway, he made sure not to inhale the scent hanging in the walls. Breathing through his mouth, Neji tried to ward himself from the lust he felt at the thought of Tenten's blood. He was unstable. Sometimes, after long periods of thirst, vampires lose themselves. They go crazy, willing to do anything for just one red drop. Neji's blood was boiling. He hadn't had any to drink in a long, long time. He needed something to eat, and quick.

He sensed that she was in her room. Try as he might, he couldn't ignore that door and pass by nonchalantly. He knew he had to go inside. He pushed the door open and poked his head inside. "Tenten?"

She looked up. "Oh, hey," she said, a tad too fast.

"Is something wrong?" Neji asked, picking up on the subtle nuances in her behavior. His vampire senses trembled. Something was making her uneasy.

"No," she said, again a little quick. "Everything's fine."

Neji arched an eyebrow, barely remembering to breathe through his mouth as he approached. Tenten was sprawled across her bed as usual, but her expression was more guarded. "You can't fool me," he said, towering above her. "I can tell something is wrong."

Tenten sighed and sat up. "Well," she began, sounding strained. "I've been thinking a lot lately. Too much, really. And I started wondering… What if he doesn't want me anymore? What if he decided to go after you? I mean… I spurred his interest by running, like in a game of tag; maybe he'd get attracted to your opposing him? Maybe he'll… Come again? Maybe he'll hurt you?"

Neji paused before sitting down next to her and putting a hand on her shoulder. "If he does come here, it doesn't matter if he hurts me. As long as he keeps his filthy hands off of you, I'll be fine."

A sniff and he realized Tenten was crying. Trying to hide her tears, she turned her face away. Neji's eyes narrowed slightly. "Don't worry," he said in a relaxed tone. "I won't let him get you."

"No!" she snapped suddenly, making him jump back a little. "That's not what I'm worried about! I'm worried about _you_, Neji. I don't want him to come here and hurt you. I don't care if he wants to bash my face in with a rock, as long as he stays away from you."

Neji couldn't help but be a bit surprised. Was Tenten really that concerned for his safety? Biting his lip gently he pulled her towards him, putting his arms around her carefully. "I'll be fine," he said, comforting himself just as much as her. "I'll be fine. I promise."

His entire body was quivering from the smell of her so close to him. The scent was intoxicating, making him lighthearted, making his brain confused…

Shaking his head, he managed to snap out of it. _No,_ he thought_, I mustn't lose control! What if I'd bitten her, would she ever forgive me? More importantly, would I lose control of myself?_

Tenten could probably tell he was struggling by the way his fingers tensed, and the way his teeth were grinding together. Slowly pulling away from him she dried what was left of her tears and smiled. "You look kinda hungry."

Neji looked up, a weary smile tugging at his lips. "I haven't fed properly in weeks," he admitted.

She turned her head and looked around the room, as if checking for intruders. "Well, she said, tugging nervously at her sleeve, "You could always…"

His eyebrows pulled together warily. Where was this conversation going? As if he wasn't affected enough by her smell already…

She suddenly pulled her sleeve up fully, reaching out with her wrist facing up. Neji stared at her for a long time, wondering what was going through her mind. She looked bravely determined, but wary. Neji laughed quietly. "Seriously? You'd do that for me?"

Tenten nodded. Neji noticed that she was biting her lip again. If she wasn't careful, she'd end up with scars. "Yeah," she said, her face breaking into a wide grin. "A few drops can't harm, can they?"

Neji shook his head silently. He was legitimately beginning to worry about her now. Who in the world would willingly offer themselves to a vampire like that?

"They can't," he confirmed. "But are you sure you would like to do that?"

"There's nothing in this world I would rather want."

Neji shook his head again. "You're an odd one."

"Hey, is it supper, or are you passing? You look like you're gonna faint any minute."

He looked away. "I'd rather not drink your blood, Tenten."

"Why not?"

He bit his lip until it seriously hurt, before deciding to explain to her the various nuances of vampires' cravings. "You see," he started, gently playing with a few loose strands of hair falling down over her forehead. She didn't seem to mind very much, but kept a close eye on his fingers. "When a vampire becomes… hungry, he or she may start hallucinating…Daydreaming… imagining things that never were. Said vampire also becomes extra wary of scents around him or her and any trace of blood could set off the ticking bomb. He or she might run out looking for something to eat, or they might stay inside and try to cope with the hunger. I belong in the latter category.

"There are also three different types of vampire when it comes to the actual hunting. Let's use cattle as an example. There's the first group, they hunt the same meal in the same way every time, for instance, only oxen, always in the same way. The second type hunts every cattle in whichever way, and the third… The third group consists of vampires whose minds are fixed upon one cow. No matter what he or she does, the target is always in his or her mind. And it won't disappear until the vampire has had a taste.

"Anyway, when a hungry vampire is offered blood, such as you just did, said vampire might lose him- or herself. If he or she gets a taste, they might not be able to stop. And, another risk is that they might… Injure the victim or themselves. You see, the smell of blood is… intoxicating. When a vampire is hit full in the face by the smell and sight of it, he or she will most likely try to get what he or she can before the blood is gone. Then again, there are vampires who resist the temptation; once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy…"

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Tenten asked, interrupting him.

He tilted his head slightly. "You never know when you'd want to know a little about vampires," he said with a dry chuckle. "Anyhow, I also want you to know this: it's not enough to just get bitten to become a vampire."

This spurred Tenten's interest. "Really? What do you have to do?"

He shot her a warning look. "Don't ask like that," he said. "Sounds like you want to be one. Anyway, you have to drink the vampire's blood, too. That's how you turn. I had a few drops of an enemy vampire's blood as I was fighting him, and that's how I turned."

"So that's how it works," Tenten mused.

"Yes. Now, do you still want to go through with your offer, knowing what you now know?"

"Absolutely one hundred percent!" she grinned. Neji smirked and shook his head.

"I don't get you."

She shrugged and waved him off dismissively. Then, his vision blurred as she stuck her wrist up in front of him, like dangling a piece of meat over a lion's head. "Now get something to eat before I change my mind about this!" she said.

One final thought raced through his dazed, reeling mind before he gave in: _Don't! You may hurt her._

* * *

Tenten closed her eyes, wincing slightly as she felt his sharp fangs pressing against her skin. She had wanted this herself, but she was, admittedly, hesitant about this part. What if it hurt an awful lot?

It stung briefly when he punctured her skin, but afterwards, it didn't hurt much at all. She felt a slight discomfort, but nothing major. In fact, she began to feel quite relaxed after a while. His breath tickled, she noticed, as he exhaled through his nose. Tenten closed her eyes, pulling her legs closer to herself without removing her hand. She couldn't feel anything but his hand, softly offering hers a rest, and his face, so carefully pressed against her wrist. She somehow felt safe, in spite of the fact that he was a vampire feeding off my blood.

Leaning back against the wall she relaxed her shoulders fully. She was satisfied. She had been able to do something for him, and that made her happy. Besides, she had a lot of blood running through her body. It wouldn't hurt to get rid of some. She snickered lowly. "Get rid of some"... that was one way of putting it.

After a while she felt the fangs coming back out, emerging from her flesh. Only two tiny, tiny marks were left on my arm as Neji pulled away.

"Quick, lick the wounds," he urged. "My spit will – well, I can explain afterwards. For now, just lick it."

"Huh? Okay," Tenten agreed hesitantly, leaning her head down slightly and bringing her wrist up. She paused for a moment over her wet skin before wiping her wrist on her jeans and licking the wounds quickly. "Why am I doing this?"

"Accelerates healing and cleans the wound," Neji explained. "Vampire saliva causes prolonged bleeding and stops blood from clotting. It's one of our special abilities. By wiping it off and licking it clean you're getting rid of that substance, as well as aiding your body in healing. Human saliva greatly speeds up wound healing."

"Gross!"

Neji looked like he was about to burst out laughing at that. He didn't, but smiled amusedly as she grinned before collapsing in the bed.

"Tenten!?"

She smiled. She could tell he was worried. "I'm fine," she said. "I'm just so goddamn tired and relaxed and warm…"

"That'll be another side effect of vampire venom," he said. "Sedatives. To keep prey still."

"I see," Tenten said. "You vampires are really interesting, you know?"

He suppressed a smile as he got up. "Thank you? I suppose? And thank you for…well, you know. But this stays between us two."

She nodded. "Okay. And you're welcome. Tell me if you get hungry again."

"I won't. I don't want to take advantage of you."

Tenten smiled, looking up at him. "What if I want to be taken advantage of?"

"Then you'd better learn to survive."

She frowned, puzzled. Survive? What did he mean? She sat up to ask him, but before she could open her mouth to speak, he leaned down and kissed her. It was brief, blink-and-you-miss-it, and before she could say or do anything at all he had left.


	9. Chapter 9

Neji sank down by the wall in the tower, hiding his face in his hands. Hours had passed, yet he could not get away from the inevitable fact: he had given in. He had taken her blood. He grit his teeth and pulled his knees up. Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it.

_And you enjoyed it_, the small, unwelcome voice from before said. _Admit it_.

"Yeah," Neji mumbled, noticing how big his fangs had gotten. They had grown, seemingly overnight.

_You're growing stronger,_ the voice said. _Perhaps you'll lose control and kill somebody? Perhaps your strength will become too much for you? Perhaps… you will crave more? She won't be safe if you lose control. She's the only human in this house. You're aware of that, aren't you?_

He didn't want to answer, though he knew the voice was right. He wanted it to go away, to leave him in peace, but it refused, whispering evil things in his ears. His fingers moved to his lips involuntarily, and he traced his bottom lip absently. He had kissed her without thinking. He covered his mouth with his hand, as though holding back vomit. Why would he do such a foolish thing?

Of course, the voice knew the answer. It was only a matter of time before it would be hounding him about that. For now, though, the voice mused:

…_you're not answering me. Do you really don't care as much as you try to show the world?_

"Shut up."

_You really are in denial, eh, Neji? Well, I'll tell you something. You really l…_

Neji covered his ears with his hands and growled loudly, but he could still hear the voice clearly, for it was _inside_ his head. The heavy pounding of his heart thundered like a drum in his ears. He was sick of the voice. Sick of being told the truth. He felt how every inch of him tensed, how his fangs seemed to vibrate with the shivering crescendo of his snarl.

The voice was cut off as the trap door in the floor opened. Neji's voice faded. He kept his eyes shut and his hands over his ears, but it could not block out the light, cheerful voice.

"You okay?"

Neji slowly opened his eyes, noticing hos his body was all curled up in a corner from trying to defend himself against the voice.

"Tenten?"

She walked over to where he was sitting and slumped down by the wall next to him. He flinched as her body came into contact with his.

"I… I heard you growling," she said. "What was wrong?"

He let his hands fall and leaned back, trying to relax. "Nothing. It's fine now."

"About earlier –"

"I'm sorry," he interrupted. "About that." Tenten tilted her head to the side, confused. Neji shook his head. "I shouldn't have given in like that. I should've been stronger. And look what happened. Upon having what I wanted, I—"

He shut his mouth, preventing more unwanted words from tumbling out.

"What you…wanted?" Tenten repeated. "My blood?"

Neji didn't reply. Eventually, though, he nodded, his lips pressed together in a tight line. "I…" he started, but was interrupted by a soft hand on his face. Tenten touched his cheek, then his chin, forcing his mouth open. While Neji wondered what she was doing she closely examine his mouth.

"Your fangs grew," she observed. "Why?"

"I grew stronger," he said. "As a vampire. From drinking your blood. My fangs are bigger and harder now, to bite through harder things."

"From my blood? Why? Would it be the same with any blood?"

"I don't think so," Neji said, wanting to get off subject as soon as possible. He didn't want to indulge the idea that he was a type three hunter – one that hunts only one prey, like Redeye. He didn't want to be like Uchiha Sasuke. He had heard rumors that type 3 hunters grew stronger after catching their one prey. He didn't want to entertain the idea.

"So," Tenten said casually, picking up on his reluctance. She leaned back against the tower wall. "Why'd you… you know, when you left the room?"

Neji kept quiet, hoping that she would grow tired and leave. Tenten was patient, though, and he finally sighed. Turning his head towards her he noticed how small she looked. A slight blush had found its way across her face. "Because," he started in a voice that sounded flat and dead to him, "I wanted to know how it'd feel."

The silence was heavy. He blinked slowly as the sun vanished completely behind the mountains.

"Uh, so… How _did_ it… Err, feel?"

Neji was hit by a sudden impulse, a sudden desire, and he couldn't help it. he grabbed her by the shoulders, twisting her body around, and kissed her again, pressing his lips against hers. He felt her body stiffen and saw her eyes widen in surprise, he could feel and hear the acceleration of her heartbeat. As he slowly let go of her she pulled away, her head turning downwards as she bit her lip again. "It felt like that," he said simply, turning back to his original position.

He saw Tenten's arm rising, slowly touching her lips. "But…," she said, her voice slightly shaking. "You can't just... I mean, it's not that I mind, but…"

"I know. I can't go around doing stuff like that without your permission. And you probably don't feel the same, anyway."

"Feel… The same..?"

Neji looked at her, and the little voice in his head cheered him on as he opened his mouth to speak. "You really don't understand, do you, Tenten?"

"What?"

Neji slowly turned around, inching a bit away from her. He put my face in his right palm and sighed, closing his eyes. "Sorry that it had to be like this," he said. "I couldn't control myself. Because….. Even though it's only been a few months… Tenten, I… Love…"

"Don't say it!"

His eyes snapped back to her. She looked… embarrassed, angry and indecisive, all at once.

"D-don't say things like that unless… unless you really mean them."

"But of course I—"

"No. No, that's not it. I don't want to hear it, Neji, because I can't… I don't… "

"I see."

The silence was once again heavy. Depressing and tense. He clenched his fists. What had he been expecting, anyway? Fool. Fool. Idiot! He grit his teeth. He wanted to throw up. Idiot!

"We're still friends, right?"

He nodded silently. "Yes. Your friendship is… something I wouldn't want to lose. I treasure it more than anything."

He could see that she was relieved, happy, hopeful; he was sorry to say that he did not react the same way. He just felt… Empty.

"You… You'd better get some sleep," he said. "It's starting to get late."

Her eyes turned sad, almost desperate for a moment. "Will you be there when I fall asleep?"

Neji looked away. "No," he said. "No, I won't."


	10. Chapter 10

Tenten felt awful. As she walked down the stairs to her room, her stomach had turned so many times she'd lost count. She wanted to throw up, to bash her head into something hard. That… Idiot. She slammed her door shut, locking it. Throwing herself down on the bed she tried to relax. This proved itself to be impossible. "God damn it," she muttered into the pillow. She sniffed. She had suddenly gotten the urge to cry. "God damn that emotionless bastard!"

Her pillow didn't answer, didn't react as she punched it. Whether she was sad, angry or just upset in any way she didn't know. "G-god damn him. she… God damn it. Damn it." She rolled over to her back and sighed loudly. She had messed up badly. She'd hurt the only emotionless, mysterious bastard she had.

And now she had to fall asleep alone.

"_I wouldn't want to keep sneaking into your new room."_

"_You'd do that?"_

"_Every night."_

Yeah, right. So much for that. Maybe she should go with the offer and get a new room. She sighed and rolled over once again, looking out the window.

She wondered where he was now.

Maybe Tenten was the stupid one. She still felt that weird way her heart was beating, and she still felt his breath on her lips… something tingled inside of her and she giggled slightly. What was she doing, being all depressed? We would still be, what were his words? Best friends. Just that made me giggle even more. He enjoyed being her friend.

She fell serious as she looked deeper into it. Perhaps he'd only enjoyed spending time with be because of his affection for her. What if, now that she had rejected him, he wouldn't want to be her friend anymore? She sniffed, and the tears she had been holding back rolled onto her pillow.

"Idiot," she muttered to herself. "What're you crying for?" Nothing. Nothing!

Still her chest ached with undeniable pain. She bit hard into her lip, ignoring the sharp jab of pain it caused. She curled up on the bed, not bothering to undress or even hide herself under the covers. She somehow managed to fall asleep, drifting off into an uneasy slumber.

* * *

"Tenten?"

Her eyes slowly opened, letting the morning sun in. "Hinata? Since when were you home?"

The girl hesitated, pulling nervously at her cream white top before answering. "I just got back, and… I'm worried about Neji.

Tenten sat up. "Neji? Why?"

"He's so… Quiet. Don't misunderstand, he's always quiet, but never like… this. It's almost as if he's hurt… I'm worried about him."

Slowly raising her hands Tenten let her head fall into them. "That… Would be my fault," she muttered. The bed creaked slightly as Hinata sat down by her.

"Why?" She asked cautiously.

"Because… Because I couldn't return his feelings and… God, I messed up. I think I was a bit rough on him." She looked up. "I hope he forgives me," she whispered. "I feel really bad."

They fell into silence.

"Hey, Hinata… do you think you could… talk to him? Tell him I'm sorry?"

"Oh, n-no, Tenten. I can't do that… he doesn't like me very much. And I think it'd be the best if you did it yourself."

Tenten slowly nodded. "I guess you're right," she said. "But… I don't know if I can… See him right now. He…"

"I understand," Hinata said softly, standing to her feet. "Just give him some time and he'll be coming to you to apologize for whatever he did… he's that kind of a person. He might not act like it, but he's actually a very kind person. He just… Hides his true self from the world."

And with that, Neji's cousin backed out the door and left her alone with her own thoughts.

"Damn," she muttered. "I've got to go talk to him."

She stayed in the room, however. Opening the window she allowed the fresh morning breeze to fill the room. She closed her eyes as the wind ruffled her bangs.

"You'd better move away from the window. We don't want our only human roommate to catch a cold, do we?"

"Eh?"

Tenten spun around. She had been right. Besides, who else in the world had the same dark, cold voice as he had? "Neji," she said dumbly as he approached, leaning past her and closing the window. He seemed different. As if he had strengthened his icy façade, as if he was closing himself further away.

"Look, about I said; I'm sorry! I really, really, truly am. Could you… Could you forgive me? I was unnecessarily harsh and I- I- I wouldn't know what to do if I'd lost you as a friend, and…" She lost track of where she was going with her words. Closing her mouth she turned around, facing the window. "Don't ever leave me alone at night again," she said, the words coming forced and strained from her lips.

"I won't. Not unless you want me away really badly."

She bit her lip, keeping her gaze fixated on the glowing orb in the sky. Swallowing away the sudden lump in her throat she opened her mouth, but the words refused to come. "I…"

Just the slightest touch. The friction between his fingertips and her skin. Just the chilling sensation as his hand slid across her arm. She couldn't take it, she couldn't stand him; and yet again the tears welled up in her eyes.

"Tenten?" As the liquid trickled down her cheeks he attempted talking to her. She could faintly hear it. But her own heartbeat and quick-paced breath impeded her hearing, made it hard to make out his words. She wanted him to go away, but at the same time she wanted to feel him there. To know that he was with her, to hear his breath and to feel his skin.

This feeling she had wasn't the same as falling in love, she realized that. Yet it was bittersweet, just like love, and both stung and comforted at the same time. She felt his arms slowly, as if wary of her running away, trailing around her shoulders.

"Please don't cry," he said as he gently pulled her closer. "It hurts us both more than necessary."

She let her tears fall onto his shirt, pressing her head into his chest. She was a fool.


	11. Chapter 11

As Neji waited for Tenten to fall asleep, he felt as if her hand was burning. As if where her skin touched his a fire was lit, as if she had a fever and her skin was unhealthily warm. He glanced at the firm little hand resting in his slightly bigger one and let out a sigh. It didn't go unnoticed by Tenten, who sat up on her elbow and looked at him. "What?"

He looked at her. "Hm?"

"You just sighed."

"No I didn't."

"Yes, you did, now shut up and tell me what's wrong."

Neji didn't bother to point out the obvious contradictions in what she had just said. He rested his head against the wall and closed my eyes. "It's nothing. Nothing's wrong."

"…You're still upset," she said quietly. His eyes snapped open. "That's it, isn't it? If it is, I'm really sorry."

He sighed lowly. "You shouldn't go around apologizing all the time," he said. "It makes you look like you've got little self-confidence. As if you're saying sorry for yourself. And I know you're not a weak person, Tenten. So please, stop it."

"Sometimes I wish I was weaker than I am," she muttered, turning away. After a little while her breath became shallow and steady, and Neji knew she was asleep.

* * *

Tenten's stomach turned and she sat up. She had distinctly thought she had heard…Looking around, she noticed that Neji wasn't with her anymore. There was a sort of expectant, pressuring atmosphere in the room, and as she turned her head she heard a familiar voice.

"Hello," it said. "It's me." A hand touched her cheek. She wanted to scream, but another hand covered her mouth. "Now, if you're a good girl," the redeye continued, "and come along quietly, I won't smash this house. What about it?"

Tenten gritted her teeth. She wanted to bite him. Trying her best to wriggle out of his grasp, spitting and kicking, she soon found it to be futile. "Now, now," he said. "Are you coming, or not? Here, I'll write a little note about where you went, and then we'll just disappear into the night. Nobody needs to know, right?"

She felt her body growing limp as she gave up. He was just too strong. A hazy curtain was slowly drawn before her sense of reason. "Yes," she said. "Do that. I want them to know what happened to me." Carefully, as if he was handling a fragile little bird, he pulled her to her feet and led her across the room to the drawer.

"I'll put it here," he said, before pulling a piece of paper out from one of his pockets. He had a strange glint in his eyes, and a smirk tugging at his lips. She was confused. Was this really the same vampire that had killed her family and tried to drink her blood? Was this the same man Neji had fought, the one she had feared so much? He had been neither violent nor overly threatening. While he was writing something on the paper, Tenten took the time to actually look at him for longer than a split second.

It occurred to her that if it wasn't for the weird sort of evil in his red eyes and his malnourished features, his face could have been handsome. But the eyes and hollow cheeks drew attention, making one forget the rest of his face. He was wearing very subtle clothes; just a black shirt and identically black pants. Both were baggy and seemed to be at least one size too big. His hair was spiky as usual, sticking out in the back and hanging down at the front, framing his slender face. She wondered how old he was; but then again, vampires stop aging after a while, so he might just be a hundred years.

"There," he said, putting the pen down. "Now, little bird- let's go."

Tenten tried to back away from him, but his fingers locked around her wrist. "G-go where?"

"You don't have to know."

She shook her head, trying to free herself from his grasp. "W-wait, if I go with you… Do you promise that you won't hurt Neji or any of the others here?"

He looked at her, and the same sort of smirk as before played around the corners of his mouth. "You have my word," he said.

Tenten snorted. "I don't know if I can trust that."

He bowed down, lifting her hand up. She flinched as his lips traced the skin. "Don't…," she started feebly.

"My word," he said, his breath heavy against her wrist. Then he let go of her, and she stood as if paralyzed on the floor. What had he done to her? She felt so…subdued.

"Fine," she said, as her brain felt woolier and woolier. "As long as you don't hurt anybody, I'll come with you."

* * *

The night air was too cold at first, and she tried sinking deeper into her jacket. Though it didn't help, it at least gave her a feeling of actually trying. She closed her eyes, ignoring the stone hard face with the cold red eyes that was hovering someplace above her head. His hands were strong, strong enough to carry her as he jumped across the rooftops. She already knew she didn't need to object – she wouldn't have been able to make it across the city that way, anyway. Surprisingly warm, she noted as she somehow managed to curl up even more. She could hear his excited heartbeat from there.

Once again the feeling of subdued obedience had come over her, and she hadn't done anything to hinder him when he simply picked her up and hopped out the window. She wondered briefly how the others would react when she was gone. Hinata would probably cry, she was that kind of person - but Neji..? Would he care at all?

Her eyes started closing. She was comfortable, though fear seeped through her veins like venom. She was tired. She wanted to sleep. Her mind was hazy, as if she was drugged, and her vision blurred as she looked up. She realized she hadn't gotten much sleep lately. "Yes," the sleek voice said, right above my ear. "Get some rest. When you wake up, things will be different…"

Tenten was still afraid of him, of what he might do, but tiredness won. She closed her eyes, and her conscious self thankfully drifted off into sleep.

* * *

Chank. Chank.

The sound of metal hitting stone and metal reached her ears and she slowly opened her eyes. Her common sense had returned, and she struggled against the heavy metal chains holding her hands to the wall.

He was watching, and she knew it. A gust of cold air swooped through an open window and she shuddered. Her mind was still unclear, and she couldn't see straight. Yet she kept her head up and glared at him with all her might. "Who are you, anyway!?" she yelled.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he said. "Pleased to meet you."

"I hate you!"

Sasuke flashed a small smirk in my direction before closing the window. She looked up as the night cold engulfing us evaporated. Gritting my teeth she let out a growl. "That was supposed to be my safehouse," she hissed. "So why were you there? You, of all? You, the vampire?"

She cringed as he raised his arm and hit her. It stung. "My safehouse," she said breathlessly, her head slumping forwards over her chest. Blood was slowly dripping from her lips. She could feel his glinting eyes on her as he kneeled down, tipping her chin upwards.

"Safehouse?" He said in a mockingly soft voice. "You should have learned by now… Nothing in this world is safe."

Something moist touched her chin and she cringed. "I knew it," he said as he licked up some of the blood his punch had drawn forth. "Your blood is sweet."

Tenten tried turning her head away but it proved to be impossible. "Really… Sweet."

She closed my tired eyes, shielding them from the sight of his red eyes. As the vampire withdrew his tongue she exhaled deeply, trying to get herself to relax. "What do you want from me, anyway?"

"Well," he started. He looked mildly amused. "At first I wanted to kill you, but now, I have a different objective. You, little bird, will be the bait to lure Hyuga Neji out of his hiding place."

"You said you wouldn't hurt him. You gave me your word."

"No," Sasuke said, slowly brushing a finger across her wrist, right above the shackles. "I gave you my word that I wouldn't hurt anybody _in the inn_."

Her stomach turned. He had tricked her. And so obviously! She cursed internally at herself. If he could lure Neji out of the inn… she shuddered slightly, pulling at the chains once more. "I hate you!" she yelled. The words didn't help her much, but it felt somewhat good to yell them at his face.

He snickered slightly, before turning around and exiting the room.

* * *

In retrospect she could think of so many things she should've done different that night. That fatal night, when everything got out of hand. She could've realized the vampire's unusual ability to persuade, convince and trick people into following his will. She would've noticed how the veil pulled before my senses reeked of him, smelled of fear.

She could've warned Neji.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello everyone, it's been, what, three years? Since my last update? A while. Let's celebrate the years with a complete rewrite of NITW, as well as its continuation. Please go back and reread if you want to be updated on what's going on.**

* * *

_Don't look for me_. That's what the note read. Neji held it in his hands, feeling a chill spreading through his body as he read it over and over again. _Don't look for me_.

It wasn't like Tenten to just disappear. He was sure of it. Whenever she had gone for errands or walks she had always made sure to let either him or Hinata know about it. She couldn't even go to the bathroom without letting people know. She wouldn't just take off like that.

The handwriting also wasn't anything like hers. Someone else had written the note and left it in her room. There were no signs of struggle, so she had gone willingly, but all the signs he found pointed towards a kidnapping. Gone without a trace. Another person's note. An open window.

Neji frowned, looking out. It was daytime now. He couldn't go after her. He shook his head. Of course he couldn't.

But he had to.

Neji closed the window with a small grunt before walking down the stairs. He had to be strategic about this. He had to find shelter as quickly as possible. He had to find the place as soon as he could. He would follow her smell. It was risky to him, for he was growing hungry again, but he had no choice.

"Neji!" It was Hinata, down in the lobby, greeting him as he emerged from the staircase. "Good morning."

"Tenten is gone," he reported. "I'm going after her."

"What?" Hinata looked alarmed. "But Neji, it's daytime…"

"I'm going," he said harshly, cutting her off. Grasping the door handle, he noticed how hot it felt. He did not want to do this. Yet he had to. He gritted his teeth against the heat, bracing his body and narrowing his eyes. He heard Hinata's whimpering behind his back as he opened the door.

"Neji, don't—"

But it was too late. He had already walked out, into the sunlight, and the door slammed shut behind him, cutting off her sentence. Once outside, he immediately started sprinting in the direction his nose pointed him to. By scooting around in the shades of roofs and window sills, he managed to make his way through town without burning to a crisp; his skin was giving off pale gray smoke and it hurt, but he wasn't burning, not yet. There were not many people out at that time of day, and his path went relatively unobstructed.

Her smell was faint. He knew he wasn't taking the same path as her, but he couldn't seem to find the exact route she had taken. He followed the vague traces as best as he could, but it was difficult. It cost him too much time. He felt the searing pain of the sunlight, feeling his skin heating up past normal levels, dangerously high temperatures playing in his flesh. The smoke got in his eyes and they watered, limiting his sight. He stumbled and fell flat on the ground in the sunlight.

"Hey! What are you doing out here?" A voice said, and rough hands pushed at him. "Get up, man."

Neji winced at the stranger's touch and slowly rose to his feet, stumbling into a patch of shade. The stranger was a blond youth with bright blue eyes and a round, childish face. He was smiling, but appeared worried. "You're a vampire. You shouldn't be out here now. You'll burn."

"I don't have time," Neji said impatiently. "I'm in a rush."

"Can I help you?"

"No."

"Well, take this," the stranger said, throwing him a water bottle. He caught it easily and looked at it. "Douse yourself with it," the blond instructed. "It'll keep the flames at bay for a little while."

"Thanks," Neji said.

"No big. Can you point me the way to the, er, Hyuga inn? I think I'm lost."

"Back that way," Neji said lowly, pointing the way he had come. "Straight until you see the sign."

"Thanks," the stranger smiled. "Good luck."

"You too."

With that, the two men split up. Neji continued on his path, regularly dousing himself with water from the bottle. It soothed the pain and bought him time. What a thoughtful stranger, he mused. Not everyone would do anything for a vampire dumb enough to go outside in the sun.

He noticed Tenten's smell getting stronger and sped up, pushing his body to its limit as he ran. He ran out of the village center, to the outskirts of town. An abandoned house attracted his attention and he ran up to it, dripping wet and panting heavily. The door was off its hinges, hanging lazily open. He knocked it down with ease just trying to open it, making a massive racket. He cringed. Whoever had grabbed Tenten – and he had a good idea of who that might be – would definitely know he was there.

* * *

Neji was right about that. Tenten saw Sasuke's head snap up and he looked around expectantly. Even Tenten had heard the noise from upstairs.

"He's here," Sasuke smiled. "The boy is here to rescue you. How sweet."

Tenten struggled against her chains uselessly. "Don't hurt him," she pleaded. "You can have me, do what you like to me, but don't hurt him, please…"

The vampire seemed to entertain her offer for a while, but then shook his head. "I have you _and_ him. Why should I choose?"

"He'll kill you," Tenten threatened, but it was just empty words. She knew more than well enough that Redeye was far Neji's superior in power and fighting experience.

"We'll see," Sasuke smiled. "Would you look at that…he's calling for you."

Straining her ears, Tenten could hear him too. Neji was shouting her name, trying to make his way through the ruined house. He didn't know where she was. He had to go through the whole house. It would take him several minutes to reach her.

"Not a sound," Sasuke ordered. "I want him to find you on his own. Speak, and I'll know it. I'll kill both you and him."

And with that, he left, leaving Tenten on the floor to wait for her rescuer's appearance.


End file.
